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Logging
Aug 31, 2018 14:28:13 GMT -6
Post by benmnwi on Aug 31, 2018 14:28:13 GMT -6
For those of you who have logged your property did you use a forester to mark trees, coordinate the sale, etc.? How much money did they cost and do you think what they did was worth the price?
My place in SE MN probably should be logged and after talking with the DNR to find out general logging information I've called a private forester to take a look at what I have and get a quote for their services. I have no idea if it's a flat rate, a % of total sales or a combination of the two. If I don't have enough to interest the private forester I could meet with a logger directly. I was planning on doing that this weekend, but after reading more into this I found that working directly with loggers doesn't always end up the most profitable for the landowner. So I told the logger we'll hold off on walking my land until after I meet with the private forester. The logger said I'm wasting money by bringing in a private forester, but I doubt that is the case in the long run if they get more competitive bids. Who knows though.
Any advice for what to do or what not to do with regards to logging would be appreciated.
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Logging
Aug 31, 2018 14:39:08 GMT -6
Post by Bwoods11 on Aug 31, 2018 14:39:08 GMT -6
I could tell you more in a year. Logging some walnut and a few junk trees in Iowa. If I remember it is around 8% of the sale, they take.
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Logging
Aug 31, 2018 14:55:17 GMT -6
via mobile
Foggy likes this
Post by batman on Aug 31, 2018 14:55:17 GMT -6
Get a broker. We logged the 827 two years before I bought it and the loggers never got paid by the place they hauled to. Lost their ass. Private loggers often take trees you wanted to keep because they $1000 here and $2000 for the veneer there. Pay a commission to somebody with a good name in the area or prepare to be taken.
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Logging
Aug 31, 2018 15:16:35 GMT -6
Post by Foggy on Aug 31, 2018 15:16:35 GMT -6
I used a forester to find me a good logger. I think the forester got the best logger in the area for my land. Not sure if someone else may have paid a few dollars more.....but the logger I got was pretty good about saving the trees I wanted and worked around the small oaks that were in the middle of my pines. I'd be glad to pay the forester again.....if that was my choices. Also, the Forester did some survey work to be certain where the property lines were, etc. He went over and above what I had expected.
Only thing I could wish for......is that they would have cleaned up better at the log landing site. A little dozing in this area would have gone a long way. Still.....it was winter and snow and weather likely made this impossible to be much better.
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Logging
Aug 31, 2018 18:15:22 GMT -6
via mobile
Foggy likes this
Post by benmnwi on Aug 31, 2018 18:15:22 GMT -6
I've been told by the dnr forester in se mn 13% is the going rate, but I need to confirm this if/when the private forester calls me back. I won't get rich off this, but something is better than nothing if the hunting improves at the same time.
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Logging
Sept 5, 2018 7:06:54 GMT -6
Post by MN Slick on Sept 5, 2018 7:06:54 GMT -6
Our forester got 10% in MO. He bid the project out to 5 or 6 loggers he has a working relationship with so we felt pretty good about it. We walked the farm with him when he marked trees. A buddy of mine sold direct to the logger and had trees cut in an area they weren't supposed to be cutting.......Shocker!!
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Logging
Sept 5, 2018 7:13:05 GMT -6
Post by Foggy on Sept 5, 2018 7:13:05 GMT -6
I think 13% is the going rate. I believe that is what I paid too. My forester put allot of time into my land.....I felt he was worth it. Most of us know nothing about timber sales.
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Logging
Sept 5, 2018 9:16:31 GMT -6
Post by jbird on Sept 5, 2018 9:16:31 GMT -6
When I had my place logged...both times. I was directly involved in marking which trees got cut. First of all I was able to confirm the species of tree (and not rely on the logger), and secondly I was able to see the health of the tree and the specific situation to ensure my select cut didn't become a clear cut OR to identify trees that needed to be protected. I also had to keep an open mind about cutting species that I didn't want to cut, but was in poor health....poor health means the tree will come down. Maybe not when you want and may not make you any money when it does. We cut nearly 800 trees the first time removing ash, maple, poplar, cottonwood, sycamore and the like.....junk! The hard maple and poplar brought a decent price. We did take a few damaged cherry, walnut and even oak trees, but only the damaged ones. The second time...I needed some cash...so the better walnut and any desired hard maples went....cha-ching! By being involved I was also able to tell the loggers routes they could and could not take and point out trees to avoid and point out landing areas and the like. I WAS the forester so to speak....but that was by my choice as I just don;t trust people in general. I even negotiated trail repair and culvert install where needed to improve the access on my place after the logging was done. Was the best habitat improvement I have made thus far and put some money in my pocket in the process.
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Post by kl9 on Sept 5, 2018 9:25:09 GMT -6
Foresters around us work hourly if you want them to. Hourly to mark trees, put out for bids, and to monitor the process.
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Post by benmnwi on Sept 5, 2018 11:08:31 GMT -6
I'm hoping to get a forester to call me back, but they must be busy. Or just bad at calling people back. I'm not getting rich off this logging, but it will likely be the only time it will ever be logged by me so I want it to be done right. Hopefully one of the private foresters will call me back.
On a related note, while looking for MN DNR foresters I found info on the DNR's website that gave the winning logging bids for state properties across Minnesota. With a little luck a guy could nearly pay for a property in northern areas with the proceeds from a logging operation with mature aspen. There were several logging jobs that paid more than $1000 per acre, which is pretty cool to see. Just need to be good enough judging trees to tell how much timber value is in a certain property.
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Post by Foggy on Sept 5, 2018 11:32:01 GMT -6
^. I have thought this same thing. Buy good timber property at a fair price....have it logged.......perhaps make a food plot and a few improvements as you wait a few years for the regen......sell it as prime deer land. I think this could be a profitable way to buy and sell land......but you do have to know the timber market and be good at selling deer property. It would sound easier than being into land to farm it for a profit.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on Sept 5, 2018 12:53:44 GMT -6
Back at my first farm in Nowthen MN we logged off about 130 red oak trees ourselves. I had a guy working for me out of Sconny that did a lot of logging. He cut them down and limbed them, then we used my crawler loader with the ripper on the back to skid the trees out onto a landing. When we got them all out, we called 4 sawmills and had them come look. The guy that worked for me had a scale stick and new how to use it. So we new exactly what we had for board feet. Took the best offer paid up front, and had them mark where they wanted the logs cut to length. that was back in the 80's and I think we got around $3K for the trees. But then I ran a ad in the local paper saying $25/pickup load cut your own firewood from the tops and limbs. Made almost $5K from that. Should have just let the people cut the trees up for firewood, would have made more money that way!
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Post by Bwoods11 on Sept 5, 2018 13:40:19 GMT -6
I'm hoping to get a forester to call me back, but they must be busy. Or just bad at calling people back. I'm not getting rich off this logging, but it will likely be the only time it will ever be logged by me so I want it to be done right. Hopefully one of the private foresters will call me back. On a related note, while looking for MN DNR foresters I found info on the DNR's website that gave the winning logging bids for state properties across Minnesota. With a little luck a guy could nearly pay for a property in northern areas with the proceeds from a logging operation with mature aspen. There were several logging jobs that paid more than $1000 per acre, which is pretty cool to see. Just need to be good enough judging trees to tell how much timber value is in a certain property. I looked at a property in Wisconsin that had really nice Oak and Walnut, hundreds of them. Big, straight!
Grant County Wisconsin. They were asking under $2000/acre. Found out later the logging bid came in at like $1500/acre and that was not taking all the good trees. Once in awhile a deal like that is out there. Missed opportunity.
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Post by benmnwi on Sept 6, 2018 10:47:58 GMT -6
I spoke with the private forester and we will walk my place within the next week. He gets 10% of the money which is a little lower than the 13% I heard was normal. The forester said there is a market for everything except boxelder which is really good to hear. We'll see what he says when we walk my place, but this is encouraging since I was concerned about the market for the other types of woods.
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Logging
Sept 6, 2018 11:44:11 GMT -6
Post by Foggy on Sept 6, 2018 11:44:11 GMT -6
^. I was surprised by the market for chips here. Lots of loads went into chips and the dollar tally did add up.......and it left my land somewhat cleaner too. Still.....there was allot of slash in the landing area. Cant avoid it I suppose. Maybe getting a few hours of dozing work included the summer after logging would be a good way to get the landings cleaned up.....and would not cost you.
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